# You Like It Darker

You Like It Darker is a collection of twelve stories by American author Stephen King, published by Scribner in May 2024. The book was announced on November 6, 2023, via Entertainment Weekly, which provided a look at the book's wraparound cover, table of contents, and an excerpt from "Rattlesnakes", a sequel to King's 1981 novel Cujo.

## Stories

| # | Title | Originally published in | Type |
| 1 | Two Talented Bastids | Previously unpublished | Novella |
| 2 | "The Fifth Step" | March 2020 issue of Harper's Magazine | Short story |
| 3 | "Willie the Weirdo" | McSweeney's 66 (Spring 2022) | Short story |
| 4 | Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream | Previously unpublished | Novella |
| 5 | "Finn" | Finn e-book (2022) | Short story |
| 6 | "On Slide Inn Road" | October/November 2020 issue of Esquire | Short story |
| 7 | "Red Screen" | Red Screen e-book (2021) | Short story |
| 8 | "The Turbulence Expert" | Flight or Fright (2018) | Short story |
| 9 | "Laurie" | stephenking.com (2018) | Short story |
| 10 | Rattlesnakes | Previously unpublished | Novella |
| 11 | The Dreamers | Previously unpublished | Novella |
| 12 | The Answer Man | Previously unpublished | Novella |

## Selected stories

Notable stories (the novellas) within the collection include:

### Two Talented Bastids

This story unravels a concealed secret that's shared regarding the otherworldly genesis of the artistic abilities and the remarkable careers of childhood friends from a small Maine town: painter David "Butch" LaVerdiere and author Laird Carmody.

### Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream

Focusing on the impact of a sudden and unprecedented psychic event, this tale explores the profound upheaval caused in numerous lives.

### Finn

A young Irish man experiences frequent injuries and bad luck while growing up. His grandmother tells him that God will give him two bits of good luck for every bit of bad. At 19, while running home from his girlfriend's house, he is mistaken for another young man, abducted and tortured for information he does not have. When his kidnappers realize their mistake they release him, giving him four thousand euros for his trouble. Walking home, he remembers Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" wonders if he is only imagining his emancipation while actually dying under torture.

#### Critique

Jenn Adams described "Finn" and "Red Screen" as two less-developed stories in the collection. Sassan Niasseri suggested that "Finn" "poses the brutal question of whether determinism is a constant in all of our lives."

### Rattlesnakes

A sequel to King's 1981 novel Cujo, this tale follows grieving widower Vic Trenton's search for solace after the death of his beloved wife Donna. In Florida his journey takes an unexpected twist when he meets a new neighbor who tragically lost her twin sons to a snake attack. The neighbor dies, unexpectedly leaving all her assets to Trenton and this makes the police suspicious of him. Supernatural forces appear, as usual, threatening Trenton and his sanity.

### The Dreamers

A narrative centered on a reticent Vietnam veteran who, upon responding to a job advertisement, discovers that certain realms of the universe are better left undiscovered. Stephen King said that though it's very rare that he scares himself with what he writes, a story in the upcoming collection titled The Dreamers was "so creepy" that he "couldn’t think about it at night".

### The Answer Man

This story probes the dual nature of prescience, contemplating whether it constitutes good fortune or a curse, and reflects on how lives marked by profound tragedy can still hold significance.

## Publication

The collection was published on May 21, 2024 by Scribner. It is available in physical, digital and audio book formats.
In July 2024, King noted that his 2016 short story "The Music Room" had been omitted from the collection due to him forgetting about it, but that it would "probably" be included in the paperback edition.

## Critical response

The book debuted at number one on The New York Times fiction best-seller list for the week ending May 25, 2024.
In his USA Today review, Brian Truitt commends Stephen King's You Like It Darker for its array of twelve dark and engaging stories. The collection is praised for revisiting familiar characters and settings while exploring new horrors, such as deadly snakes, ghosts, and mad scientists. Truitt highlights King's ability to blend horror with deeper themes of talent, unrealized dreams, and existential musings. Despite some less impactful stories, the collection is noted for its gripping narrative and ability to evoke fear.
Kirkus Reviews points out that while some stories might feel less developed, the overall collection remains engaging. The review appreciates the familiar "King staples" and notes that the stories successfully revisit old haunts and characters, providing a mix of suspense and horror.